Molded base unit for furniture



April 18, 1961 R. H. Ross 2,980,168

MOLDED BASE UNIT EoR FURNITURE Filed Deo. 18, 1959 INVENTOR /PH /Po as mfg/ i7, KW

United States Patent O MOLDED EASE UNIT Fon FURNITURE Robert H. Ross, 1419 Belknap si., superior, wis.

Filed Dec. 18, 1959, Ser. No. 860,405

.6 claims. (Cl. 15s- 181) 'Ihis invention relates to a novel molded base unit for loose cushioned furniture such as chairs and sofas.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a molded unit including coiled springs which can be quickly applied to a frame of a piece of furniture thereby eliminating many steps in connection `with furniture construction and which is normally required to assemble a base unit so that the coiled springs will be properly secured and properly padded.

Another object of the invention is to provide a molded base unit the upper surface of the forward portion of which is sloped downwardly and rearwardly, to retain the cushion against forward displacement, and which eliminates numerous steps in connection with conventhe front face 17 rearwardly to adjacent the forward edge of the fiat top portion 18. A slot 21, as best seen in Figure 4, is molded into the foam body portion16 between the top surface portions 18 and 20 and between the front row of springs 14 and an adjacent row of springs 15, as best seen in Figures 2 and 3'.

To apply the molded base 13 to the frame 7, said base is placed upon thewebbing 9 so that the front face 17 thereof extends upwardly from the front portion of the frame 7. The front row of springs 14 differs slightly from the springs 15 in that each spring 14 has a bottom convolution 22, afforward part of which protrudes or substantially protrudes from the bottom surface 23 of the molded Vfoam body 16, n ear the front face 17, so that staples or other driven fastenings 24 can engage over a part of eachbottom convolution 224 and bedriven into the front'barv 25 of the rectangular frame 7 for anchoring the'molded base unit 13 to said frame. A strip of fabric 26 has a longitudinal edge portion securedl as by means of fastenings 27 to the front frame member 25. Said fabric strip 26 extends from end-to-end of the front 'frame member 25. The

tional furniture construction to form such an inclined surface by folded and sewn fabric.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure l .is a fragmentary front elevational view of a piece of furniture equipped with the molded baseunit;

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross sectional View, partly in elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the molded base unit, removed from the pieceof furniture, and

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view showing in detail a part of the invention as illustrated in Figure 2. f

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the article of furniture designated generally 6 and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 may constitute either a chair, sofa or other piece of furniture having a loose cushion. As illustrated, the piece of furniture 6 includes a rectangular frame '7 preferably formed of wood, having depending supporting legs S at the corners thereof. The opening formed by the rectangular frame 7 is covered by webbing 9 which is secured to parts Vof the frame 7 in a conventional manner. The piece of furniture 6 also includes a back rest 10, arm rests 11 and one or a plurality of loose cushions 12. The parts 7 to 12 are conventional and have been illustrated and briefly described merely to afford a better understanding of the novel base unit 13,

comprising the invention. The base unit 13 comprises a to determine the thickness thereof. The molded body 16 preferably has a front face 17 which is upwardly and` outwardly inclined slightly. The top surface 18 rof the molded body 16 is substantially flat from the back edge or face 19 thereof to a point spaced from the front face 17. The molded body 16 has a downwardly and rearwardly inclined top portion 20 extending from' the upper edge of fabric strip 26 extends upwardly from its anchored bottom edge across the front face 17 and across the inclined top surface 20 ofthe foam body member 16 and has its other longitudinal edge seated in the slot or groove 21. The fabric strip 26 preferablyV corresponds to the material covering the remainder of the piece of furniture 6, as is conventional. l

A piece of lightweight fabric material 28, known as decking, also extends from end-to-end of the frame 7 and has one longitudinal edge thereof secured, as by means f of driven fastenings 29, to the rear member 30 of the' frame 7. The fabric piece 28 extends forwardlyacross the upper surface 1S and has its other longitudinal edge seated in the groove 21. The groove 21 contains Ya suitable cement vor other bonding medium 31 for anchoring the edges of the fabric strips 26 and 28 therein. e

As seen in Figure 2, the loose cushion or cushions 12 rest upon the portions of the fabric pieces 26 and 28 which Vcover the molded base unit 13 and are prevented from sliding forwardly -by the upwardly and forwardly inclined front surface 20 of said unit. The foam rubber or other foam material forming the body 16 provides a suihcient support and enclosure for the springs 14 and 15 so that base frame havingv a webbing covering', fabric Apieces f anchored to front and rear portions of the base frame, and

a loose seat cushion; a molded base unitfor the furniture piece comprising a 'relatively thick resilient body portion formed of a molded' foam material and including a bottom surface and a top surface, a plurality of coiledsprings embedded in said body portion in upright positions, the bottom surface of said body portion resting upon and being supported by the webbing, and said fabric pieces eX- tending from their anchored edges upwardly and across the top surface of the molded base unit for enclosing and covering the base unit, said base unit providing a support' forthe loosev cushion.

2. In a combination as denedby claim l, the topV surface of said base unit including a downwardly and rearwardly inclined forward portion for resisting forward displacement of the cushion.

3. In a combination as defined by claim 1, the top surface of said moldedbody portion having'a groove extend- Patented Apr. 1s, 1961 ing from end-to-end thereof, said groove being spaced from front and back edges of the molded body portion and containing a bonding medium, and adjacent longitudinal edges of said fabric strips being secured in said groove by the bonding medium.

4. ln a combination as defined by claim 1, said molded body portion having a front face, certain of said coil springs, located adjacent said front face, including a bottom convolution partially exposed adjacent the corner formed by the bottom surface and front face, and staples engaging over said exposed convolution portions and anchored in the frame base for securing the molded base unit to the frame base.

5. In a combination as dened by claim 1, the top surface of said molded base unit including a downwardly and rearwardly inclined forward portion for resisting forward displacement of the cushion and a groove extending from end-to-end of the top surface adjacent said forward portion in which adjacent longitudinal edges of 4 said fabric strips are received, and said groove containing a bonding medium for anchoring said adjacent edges of the fabric strips in the groove.

6. In a combination as defined by claim 5, certain of said coil springs having upper convolutions disposed directly beneath said downwardly and rearwardly inclined forward portion and forwardly of said groove.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,725,479 Rissman Aug. 20, 1929 2,101,054 Eaton Dec. 7, 1937 2,315,791 Hiatt et al. Apr. 6, 1943 2,656,880 Graupner Oct. 27, 1953 2,779,031 Arpin Jan. 29, 1957 2,779,036 Platt Jan. 29, 1957 2,882,959 Burkart Apr. 21, 1959 

